Month: November 2018

Pam Teede, Lee Raper and Jackie Price of the Australind Art Club show off the two paintings donated for their fundraising raffle.COMMUNITY spirit was on full display when the Australind Art Club raised funds for Esperance shark attack victim Sean Pollard at their Christmas lunch last Wednesday.

Instead of buying gifts for one another this year, members of the club each donated $10 to the appeal.

This teamed with a paintings raffle and 10 per cent of the funds raised at the group’s latest art exhibition totalled $2,572 raised.

The paintings for the raffle were donated by Robin Collier from New South Wales and Pam Teede of the Australind Art Club.

Mrs Teede was recently awarded the Dunsb- orough Lions art award.

Upon hearing about Mr Pollard’s shark attack, the club’s decision to donate to his appeal was an easy one.

“We saw it as needing to go that extra effort,” member Lee Raper said.

“We donate four times a year and this was a really easy choice.”

The group donates funds for each of their four exhibitions a year.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

MEDAL WINNER: Ellie Johnston helped lead the NSW under-14s indoor netball team to victory at the Australian Junior Nationals held in Western Australia recently. Ellie is pictured with her medal from the championships.

COOMBA Park’s Ellie Johnston helped lead the NSW under-14s indoor netball team to victory at the Australian Junior Nationals held in Western Australia recently.

Held in Perth from November 30 to December 6, Ellie played goal attack and goal shooter throughout the competition.

Ellie and her teammates were clinical in their execution and this was evident in the final with the girls defeating Queensland 43-38.

On the last night of the championships, teams were invited to a ceremony presentation where the Australian team was announced.

Ellie was the first to be selected out of 200 other girls for an 11-girl squad to compete at the Australian Internationals in Perth next year.

Ellie will be busy fundraising and seeking sponsorship to help her get the opportunity to play for Australia.

Ellie, who has been playing the sport since she was eight, said she is both nervous and excited with the prospect of playing for her country.

“I’m a little bit nervous. It’s a fun sport that I love playing,” she said.

“I’d like to progress, do more competitions and maybe one day play professionally.”

The only training Ellie and her team mates will have together will be a couple of days before the competition.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

SO STRONG: Alex Mackay confirmed his reputation as one of the best hockey players produced in the local area with his efforts in the NSW under 21s side. ALEX Mackay capped off a great year by winning the national indoor hockey championships with the NSW under 21s earlier this month.

The NSW team went through the tournament in Canberra undefeated, winning the gold medal match against Western Australia 4-1.

On paper it looks like a reasonably convincing win, but the score was locked at nil-all until just before half-time.

They scored their first goal after 18 minutes and then grabbed a second on the stroke of half-time, taking a 2-nil lead into the break.

They added a third early in the second half and later increased their lead to four goals, before WA got a late consolation.

It is the second consecutive year Mackay has been a member of the winning team, after they took out the 2013 tournament in Wollongong.

PROUD MOMENT: Alex Mackay shows off the championship shield.

There are a number of differences between indoor and outdoor hockey, such as the speed, weight of the ball and the number of goals scored.

Mackay described it as being like hockey’s equivalent of Twenty20 cricket.

This was Mackay’s last hurrah in the under 21s division and he said winning the tournament was an unbelievable feeling.

“I knew we’d be strong, but the boys all gelled together, which was very pleasing,” he said.

“This was our last chance to play together, so I couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish,” he added.

Although he didn’t get on the score sheet in the final, Mackay netted four goals during the tournament.

“That was a bit of a surprise, I’m not really renowned for it,” he laughed.

“I was just in the right place at the right time, I’m more about the assists usually,” he added.

Mackay will be too old for under 21s next year, so is hoping he can make the open’s team next year, who have now won seven titles in a row.

All in all, it has been a very successful year for Mackay.

In the Illawarra competition, his University of Wollongong team won another grand final, and he won a title in Sydney first grade with Moorebank Liverpool.

He also won the country championships with NSW in outdoor.

Normally Mackay would spend his summer’s playing cricket with Bomaderry, but had opted to take a break this season so he will be ready to go when hockey comes around again next year.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

New South Bunbury assistant league coach Brendan Marshall, head coach Mark Docking and president Jeff Hayres.FOOTBALL: The position changes at the South Bunbury Football Club keep on coming after long time clubman Jeff Hayres was voted in as president at the club’s AGM on Saturday night.

Hayres has spent the last two years as board director at the club and will replace Bevan Buswell at the helm.

He has been with the club since his junior days started as an under 10s footballer and he went on to play in both a colts and a league premiership with the red and white.

The aim of the club’s board is to continue the strong work already put in place by those before them, which Hayres has placed importance on.

“We’re really focused on continuing the good work put in place by the board members the past few years,” he said.

“It’s about honouring them – we’re in a really strong position at the moment and we want to continue with that.”

As for on the field, Hayres said the club’s league side is focused on finishing in the top three and being fiercely competitive in the coming season.

“Our goal is to finish within the top three and then we can go from there,” he said.

“We understand that it is very, very hard to win grand finals, so our goal from the outset is simply to play strong football.”

The change at presidency comes just two weeks after a new league and colts coach were announced for South Bunbury with Mark Docking and Barry Gresham taking the respective positions.

Former Collie Eagle Brendan Marshall has also joined the Tigers, taking up a role as assistant league coach.

Marshall played in 175 games as a Collie Eagle, collecting three best and fairest awards, two premierships and a Pike medal in more than 10 years with the club.

Hayres said the club has welcomed the experience Marshall brings to their coaching panel.

“Brendan brings a lot of big game experience to our coaching staff that we think will help,” he said.

“We’re working hard with coaches and volunteers around the club and we’re looking forward to 2015.”

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

Whyalla Community Partnership recently enlisted the help of UniSA business development manager Adele Flego. Pictured were (from left) UniSA department of rural health manager Mellissa Kruger, UniSA department of rural health mental health academic Lee Martinez, UniSA business development manager Adele Flego, Department for Education and Child Development manager support services Jeanette Conroy, Department for Education and Child Development education director Ian May and Community and Recreation Field officer Alberto Salatino.A community collaboration to tackle local youth issues has gained momentum.

The Whyalla Community Partnership (WCP) is making strong progress with its development of a funding application for $1 million through a new national philanthropic initiative, the Search.

To further support the application being successful, the forum recently enlisted the support of UniSA business development manager Adele Flego.

WCP member Lee Martinez said Ms Flego flew to Whyalla from Adelaide this month to meet with the group and help progress the funding application due in February 2015.

“Adele, in a consultancy role brings expert knowledge and experience in successfully submitting grant applications on a national level,” Ms Martinez said.

“Adele is assisting the WCP working party with the engagement of a broad range of funders, stakeholders and relevant individuals with the aim of raising awareness and building public goodwill to the social challenge the WCP are trying to address.”

In April this year, a community partnership planning forum was held to identify joint community actions to improve the health, wellbeing and education outcomes for children and young people in the community.

A population level plan was developed with three priority action areas to be addressed over the next two years and indicators to measure success.

The three areas of focus included increasing attendance and engagement at all Department for Education and Child Development sites; exploring alternative learning opportunities for young people, such as the development of a community learning hub, and to increase accessible, affordable youth friendly health services in Whyalla.

Ms Martinez said this worthwhile and collaborative initiative was bringing people and organisations together rather than working in isolation from one another.

“This is an extremely exciting opportunity for Whyalla to come together as a community to improve the wellbeing of the young people who live here and at the same time improve the wellbeing of the whole community because we are doing something that will be owned by the Whyalla community,” Ms Martinez said.

Ms Martinez said the forum was positive about its funding application but either way, it would still be working collaboratively to implement, monitor and report on the identified actions.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.